Egg crate



March 22 1927.

D. M. RUSSELL ET AL- EGG CRATE Filed Feb.26, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nuehfogg;

1, 21 March 22, 1927. D. SSELL ET AL 6 ,904

Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID M. RUSSELL AND JOSEPHI'I. SHLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

EGG CRATE.

Application filed February 26, 1924.

Our invention has for its object the provision of a structure by means of which to pack eggs, or other articles, for trans ortation so as to minimize the tendency to real;- age. The present structures commonly employed for this purpose consist of a collapsible crate which is materially reduced 111 size. This capability of the structure to collapse when not in use, however, is obtained at the expense of a lack of rigidity of the structure when extended for use.

The object of our invention is to provide means by which to obtain and maintain com plete rigidity of the structure when in use without impairing or in any way interfering with the capacity of the structure to collapse to the usual desired small compass when not in use.

Our invention has relation to that type of structures now commonly and widely in use and which are more particularly designed for the packing and the transportation of In such well known structures the eggs, or other articles, are severally deposited within the cells or pockets of a crate which is capable of being collapsed to a small compass when not in use.

These and other features and objects of our invention will be more readily understood by having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the underside of the top piece with the grooves therein, which in co-opera-tion with the extended edges of the cross walls running in one direction serve to hold the cross walls in a rigid position; also a perspective view of the cross wall running in each direction with the bottom piece and its flanges adapted to hold the cross walls rigidly 1f run in a direction at right angles to thus hold up the grooves of the top piece.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line aa of Figure 1.

Figure 3, is a view of inside elevation of a filler as erected.

Figure 4, is a perspective view of a corner section of the filler end.

Figure 5, is a plan view of one corner of a separating piece.

It will be observed that our improved arrangement deals with the ordinary and usual form of egg crate provided with walls consisting of slab ieces A which are arranged to extend in directions at right angles to Serial No. 695,189.

each other whereby to provide pockets within which the eggs or other fragile articles are nested. Vi also provide the usual top and bottom pieces which, in accordance with ourimprovement, are adapted to render the collapsible slab portion of the structure entirely and completely rigid when in use so as to insure against breakage due to the usual loose flexibility of the slab walls A, which flexibility is a result of the capability of the slab structure to collapse when not in use.

To obtain the extremely desirable result of slab structure rigidity, we form grooves a in the top piece B which are adapted to engage the extending edges 12 of the slabs A extending or running in one direction. Thus the grooves in the rigid top piece hold the one set of slabs, by engagement of the extending edges thereof, in a rigid position against any movement. We also form grooves in the bottom piece at right angles to those of the top piece which are adapted to engage the extending edges a of the slab extending or running at right angles to the before mentioned set of slabs, whereby this set of slabs is likewise held in a rigid position by means of the groove engaging such extending edges.

It will be observed that the walls forming the cells for the reception of the fragile articles are held rigidly against movement in either direction and that the crate structure is nevertheless adapted to be collapsed flatwise in the usual manner. That is, the crate structure such as heretofore used is capable of being collapsed into a small space,

but when extended and in use is held in a perfectly rigid position to insure against breakage in the transportation of the fragile articles.

The fore-going description is confined to a single unit consisting of a cell structure and top and bottom pieces. It is well known, however, that such units form the fillers or separators for egg crates used for the transportation and handling of eggs. The ordinary form of egg crate is a box divided into two compartments, containing a layer of eggs, each in a single cell unit and separated by the pieces B and B. Manifestly a filler would be built up of alternate cell units and fiat pieces, the top piece B of one cell unit forming the bottom of the cell layer next above and so on. (Fig ure 2.)

To permit of such an arrangement separating pieces such as B are preferably used, these having grooves a on both sides, those on one side extending at right angles to those on the opposite side as shown in Figure 5. In other words, it is not always necessary to provide a top piece B, since a plurality of pieces B with grooves on both sides will serve just as well.

Thus it is seen that a stack of alternate cell units A and separatingpieces B can be built up to completely fill the crate compartments and even when removed bodily therefrom will be a comparatively rigid structure with each cell unit having interlocking engagement with the separating piece B above and below.

These se iarating pieces are illustrated as being made of single ply corrugated board, a. material commonly used for protecting fragile articles in transit. The cutting of the grooves on opposite sides does not niaterially weaken the piece, since the grooves do not extend parallel on both sides. More over, the grooves offer an added advantage, namely, that the grooves tor-in openings in the otherwise iinperforate surfaces, which permits the air to circulate more freely through the layers of eggs, when in storage.

However, other materials may be used if so desired, andrthe construction otherwise modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a container for eggs and the like,

the combination with a crate of alternate flats and fillers therefor, each filler consisting or" series of parallel slabs arranged at right angles to each other and in interlocking connection, one series having its margins extended above and the other having the margins extending below the adjacentedges of the other series, and each flat c0nsisting of rectangular pieces of relatively thick material having a single series of parallel grooves on their opposite face-s adapted to receive the extended margins on the adjacent face of the cell unit.

2. An egg crate comprising a case and alternate flats and fillers fitting within said case, said tillers each consisting of series of parallel. slabs extending at right angles and having interlocking engagement with each other so that the edges of one series extend above and the edges of the other series extend below the corresponding edges of the other series, and said flats consisting of rectangular pieces of relatively thick cellular material having a series of parallel grooves on one race and a series of parallel grooves on the opposite face extending at right angles to the first mentioned series of grooves, said grooves being adapted to en gage the extended margins of the fillers on opposite sides thereof.

Signed by us at Chicago, Illinois, this 23rd day of February, A. D. 1924.

DAVID M. RUSSELL. aosnrn r-r. SHLEY. 

